The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-10-15
POWER TO FORGIVE.
EXPLANATORY NOTES BY REV. GEO.
P. HAYES, D. D., L., o.
Lesson III of the International Series
Fourth QUARTER for sunday, Oct. 10.
Text Of tho Lesson, Matt. TX, l-S-Goidcn
Text, Matt. TX, q.

Text of tho Lesson, Matt. tx, l-s-Goidcn
Text, Matt. tx, o.
VS.. /, ., Energetic faih-Christ had just
returned TO Capernaum from the eastern side
Of the lake, where he had healed the demoni
&C. Here in his own city his power was well
known. AS soon as his return was noSe,!
abroad, this man AMI his friends resolved TO
make an appeal to him,
Christ seems at lrst wholly tn have over
looked the disease OF this mans body, and to
have spoken only Of the disease OF his soul
The attention of this man and Of his friends
may have been directed wholly to his physical
distress. Their attention would he much
more sharply directed to the spiritual benefit
within their reach, by calling attention first
TO sin. Christ, therefore. planned this
miracle, so that he could enforce this lesson
both Oh those who were affected by this case
and on the mere spectators.
vs. 8, L. Sin and death-The relation Of
sin and sickness is very close. or course
the forgiveness OF sin does not now always
produce physical health. But the Saviour
here struck at the root of disease when he
proposed to forgive sin. But for sin, sickness,
disease and death would be unknown. When,
therefore, Jesus said, THY sins be forgiven
thee" lie covered the whole question of the
relation of sickness and suffering to moral
causes.
vs. 5, 6. Bad losic-The thoughts Of the
scribeS nre not surprising when we recol-
lect their assumption as to Jesus human
character. Their logic, stated in fall, is this:
for a man to forgive sins is basphemy; this
is q mere man, therefore he blasphemeth.
But this assumed a, infallibly certain the
| very question at issue, whether this was only
mere man. Here, as is usual in false rea.
| sonng, the false premise is omitted. Jesus
question in verse did two things to prove
his divinity: first, it proved it by bis knowl-
edge Of their thoughts; and second its word
"evil" called their attention to their mistake.
What Christ meant by ease and difficulty de-
| serves attention. That word "easier" as
sumes that it is but word in either case, and
forces the question Of his divinity at once to
| the front.
1t also fixes visible test as to the result
The mans sins might be forgiven, and yet
there would remain no immediate method Of
knowing that fact by the bodily senses. But
| il the man should now arise and walk, every
| body could see that.
VS.. IS Momentous results-If all parties
could have understood how much seemed for
the moment to have been staked on this mans
conduct, how they would have held their
breath at the close Of Jesus last words in
verse 6! Verse narrates the result in the
most quiet and unsurpassed manner II the
Bible was not inspired, what a sensational
story men would have made out Of this event!
The peoples logic was not much better than
That OF the scribes. They did not deny the
wonderful work, but they still omitted the
argument for the divinity Of Christ.
The charities now in the world are almost
wholly the outcome Of tho Christian religion.
Even when engaged in by those who arc not
themselves professors Of evangelical Chris
| tianity, they are the result OF a Christian
| public sentiment in the community. Temporal
charity ought to accompany missionary work,
but it should not be SO administered as to OBJ
scure or overshadow the spiritual end in.
volved. Christ's way was to enforce moral
lessons with temporal blessings.
| When this man was healed it was his duty
10 arise and walk ". \. We can conceive
that the words OF the Saviour to him Nigh,
have accomplished in his body the cure OF hi:
disease, and We, he might have so refused u
attempt to move that he would have lair
When the spiritually palsied IRE healed by
conversion, the exercise of their spiritual
| power is an immediate duty.
SUGGESTIVE APPLICATIONS.
va Son, be of good cheer-Sick and help
less, not able to move ones self and scarcely
to be moved by healthier and stronger hands,
one may feel justified in a castdown and dis
pirited look. There would be great need Of q
voice bringing good cheer to the sick and de-
spondent. Yet this word was not what was
expected by the friends; they hoped for q
visible healing of the body; instead Of this
there was an invisible healing of the soul.
VA. Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts,
Jesus showed his power to forgive sins by
revealing to the scribes the unspoken thoughts
Of their hearts They were saying, This
man has been brought to you that his palsied
body might be restored. This would be some
thing difficult to do The Teacher has simply
said, Thy sins be forgiven thee a very easy
thing compared with what the friends ex,
pected."
V. 8. The multitudes glorified God-There
are many crowds Of people now who marvel
at what God does, but seldom get beyond
that They never go so far as to glorify God
for those works which have caused them to
marvel They seem to suppose that gaping
| with establishment and throwing up their
hands in wonder are quite sufficient acts OF
worship.
HINTS FOR PRIMARY CLASSES.
Jesus did many wonderful things that nc
other man could ever do. He made blind
people see. Poor blind men go around very
carefully feeling their way with stick, or
being led by little dog fastened to string
held by the man, or led by some person that
can see. Jesus used to cure the blind with q
word so that they could see perfectly.
After the storm, and after doing wonderful
works on the other side Of the lake, Jesus
came back to Capernaum. A poor man sick
OF the palsy was brought to him for healing.
Teachers should gather all the details Of the
story from Mark ii and Luke v, and then give
it graphically to the children. A gentleman
gave it recently to about 200 little ones under
seven years Of age at MI. Surgeons Sunday
school in London. He entered so thoroughly
into the spirit of the scene that he engaged
the attention of all the children, small as they
were, although before he began it seemed inn
possible for the three ladies in charge to pre-
| kincv lilo Ett1a